The intense rivalry between Bo Nickal and Colby Covington continues to escalate. Their ongoing verbal sparring intensified after Covington, along with Luke Rockhold, publicly disparaged Nickal during the RAF 05 press conference. Following these remarks, Nickal expressed a strong desire to challenge Covington in the octagon.
According to Nickal, the UFC had presented Covington with an opportunity to fight him at an event held at the White House. However, Nickal alleged that Covington “ducked” the fight and subsequently claimed he was never offered the bout for the UFC Freedom 250 card.
Covington addressed these claims during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, unequivocally denying Nickal’s allegations. He stated, “That’s 100% fake news, Ariel. We could call Hunter Campbell right now. He never offered me, Bo, for the White House.” While Covington suggested he would be open to fighting Nickal at 170 lbs later in the year, he dismissed the idea of competing at middleweight against someone he called a “nobody” who “hasn’t earned anything” and referred to Nickal as a “privileged a**hole.”
Bo Nickal Retorts: “Colby is a Liar”
Bo Nickal swiftly responded to Covington’s denial, labeling him a “liar.” On social media, Nickal asserted, “Colby is a liar. There are text message receipts of him being offered the fight.”
Furthermore, Nickal challenged Covington’s assertion of walking around at 185–190 pounds, claiming, “I saw him weigh in at RAF with my own eyes at 198lbs.” Nickal concluded with a stark warning to Covington: “He will never fight me because he knows I’ll kill him.”
In terms of their upcoming professional schedules, Covington’s last fight in 2024 ended in a TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley due to a doctor’s stoppage. He anticipates facing the winner of the Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott fight later this year. Meanwhile, Nickal is set to compete against Kyle Daukaus at the anticipated UFC Freedom 250 event.
